Controller device for electric lighting and heating purposes.



Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

F. H. HOFFMAN.

CONTROLLER DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND HEATING PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 3,1916.

ym [Mesa UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK H. HOFFMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WIL-LIAMS, BROWN & EARLE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROLLER DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND HEATING PURPOSES.

Application filed March 3, 1916.

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controller Devicesfor Electric Lighting and Heating Purposes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a device for controlling two sets of electriccircuits arranged for lighting and heating or drying purposes by meansof double throw switches, included in one set of said circuits butadapted to be shifted for diverting certain of the current into theother set of said circuits, so that while one set of said circuits isbeing employed for lighting diverted current therefrom may be utilizedin the other set of said circuits which heating or drying means areincluded, without interfering with or interrupting the lighting derivedthrough the first named circuit.

An application of such a device is in a combined blue printing, washingand drying machine for economically and expeditiously lighting in blueprinting and for diverting certain of the current of said circuits inthe blue printing operation-to use in a combined washing and dryingmachine, for hastening drying of prints, the product of such machine,without interfering with continuous blue printing operations in the saidmachine.

In the defined connection my invention stated in general terms, consistsof the arrangement of the said device with two sets of electriccircuits, with pole switches therein and with double throw knifeswitches for diverting certain of the current of the said electriccircuits for the purposes stated, among other general uses for the same,in heating or drying as well as in lighting electric circuits.

The nature and scope of my present invention will be more fullyunderstood from the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which Figure 1, is adiagrammatic view of a controller device for electric lighting andheating circuits, embodying the essential main features of my saidinvention and showing the double throw knife switches.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Serial No. 81,818. i

Fig. 2, is a plan view of a portion of the interior of the housing ofthe controller device, showing one of the double throw switches, markedon one side Lamp and the other side in dotted outline Heater and thusrespectively, disclosing how the current can be shifted instantly in alamp circuit to one in which both lamps and a heater are included.

Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional view on the line 2 m, of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4, is an enlarged view of two of the detachable resistance coils ofthe controller device provided with shiftable spanning strips, thecartridge coils mounted in a housing and so arranged as to be shiftedalong the coils to instantly vary resistance of the same.

Referring to the drawings 2 is a rectangular-shaped box, in which isarranged a series of binding posts a and a to which are connectedelectric circuits 10 and 11, from a source of energy. Within the box arearranged double pole switches 10 and 11 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Theposts a and (4 are provided with double knife switches 6, which arepivoted thereto and arranged to engage either the contacts 6 and b or band 5, according to the purposes for which the device is to be employed,that is, either in lighting or lamp electric circuits 12-43 or in bothlighting or lamp circuits 12-13 and heating or drying circuits 14-45, asclearly shown in Fig. 1. The variable resistance coil rheostat in theform of cartridges 0, in the lighting or lamp circuits 1213, arearranged to the left in Fig. 1, and the heating coils j, to the right inthe heating or drying circuits 1415, in the said figure. The contacts 6and b and b and b, respectively, by means of bolts 6 and nuts areconnected with contact clips 6 These clips form bearings for therheostat or cartridge coils c, on the reverse side of the box a, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 3. The variable resistance cartridge coils0, removably engage the said clips 6 and each pair is provided with aspanning strap 0 to couple each with the other. These clips as arrangedare readily shiftable along the cartridge coils for instantly ifnecessary, increasing or decreasing resistance through the same, as willbe clearly understood from Fig. 4.

The variable resistance coils 0, are employed to increase or decreasethe amperage of the arc lamps employed, for example, in a blue printingmachine in which the said controller device as arranged and hereinbeforedescribed is particularly well adapted to be employed economically andefficiently, in conjunction with a combined washing and drying machine,for completing the prints produced and finally drying the same forimmediate use. That is to say, in instances where the voltage isentirely too high or too low to instantly rectify the same by the simpleshifting of the spanning strap 0 along the coils c, becoming therebypractically a rheostat. Hence it will be observed that these coils canbe employed reliably for adjusting conditions of the arc-lamps wherevoltage varies from time to time because having the conditions presentfor readily rectifying the same.

In the operation of the said controller device, the current for lightingalone instead of being entirely and wastefully employed in lamp circuitsl218 of Fig. 1, may be conserved and utilized by diverting a part or"this current and employing it in heating or drying means, included inthe said electric circuits l415. This is accomplished by simply shiftingone or more of the series of double throw switches b, of Fig. 1, so thatat one and the same time, the device may be employed for thehereinbefore explained purposes.

Having thus described the nature and obj'ects of my invention, what Iclaim is 1. A controller device of the character described, comprisingtwo sets of electric circuits, in one set of which circuits a rheostatis included and in the other set of said circuits, heating or dryingmeans, a series of double throw switches arranged in one set of saidcircuits and adapted to'be shifted into the other set of said circuitsto establish thereby lighting and heating or drying circuits, withoutinterfering with lighting while utilizing the diverted current forheating or drying purposes. 1

2. A controller device of the character described, comprising two setsof electric circuits, double pole switches therein, a rheostat orcartridge coils, included in one set of said circuits, heater or dryingmeans in the other set of said circuits, a series of double throwswitches in one set of said "circuits and adapted to be shifted into theother set of said circuits to divert part of the current of saidcircuits to establish thereby lighting and heating or drying circuits,without interfering with lighting, while utilizing the diverted current,for heating or drying purposes.

3. A controller device of the character described, comprising two setsof electric circuits with double pole switches therein, a rheostat orcartridge coils provided with shiftable bands, included in one set ofsaid circuits, heater or drying means, included in the other set of saidcircuits and a series of double throw switches arranged in one set ofsaid circuits and adapted to be shifted into the other set of saidcircuits to establish thereby lighting and heating or drying circuits,without interfering with lighting, while utilizing the diverted currentof said circuits, for heating or drying purposes.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my signature in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

' FREDERICK H. HOFFMAN. Witnesses THEO. ltosnminn,

ROSE E. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

